Automatic switchback.



L. E. HOLGOMBE.

AUTOMATIC SWITCHBAGK.

APPLICATION PILED'JANA, 1912.

1,034,618. Patented Aug. 6,1912.

' be gravitated to its vide a movable portion 0 Warren stares Parana env ron LUTHER E. HGLCOMBE, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOHN W. HENLEY, 0]? LOS ANGELES,

CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC swrronnaon Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, i912.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LUTHER E. HoL- ooMnE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in thecounty of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic of which the following is a} detail section showing the preferred form This invention relates to automatic switch gravity operated chutes, tracks Switchbacks, specification.

backs for and the like; and it consists particularly in certain arrangements and whereby a traveling bodymay be switched from an upper 'to a lower track with the tracks arranged one directly above-the other, and whereby the speed and momentum of. the moving body may be checked without sudden jar.

are arranged one above the other and sloping in opposite directions. I preferably promay form an extension of track or the lower track, being adapted to lower position by the weight of the body which has been delivered onto it from the upper track. The body is-- delivered onto this movable track portion from the upper track portion, the movable track portion then sinks to an inclination inthe opposite direction and thus delivers the body onto the lower track portion.

Means are provided for gravitationally returning the; movable track portion to its original upper position. I also provide that a certain portion of the upper track shall be movable upwardly from its normal position. The two movable portions of the track are connected together so that when one is gravitateddownwardly by the weight of the body thereon, the other is moved upwardly to increase the clearance over the lower track. These portions are so balanced that 4 they will return to their normal position after thebody' has been delivered to the lower track. To prevent the movable track portion from moving at an excessive speed I preferably provide a retarding member in the form of a dash pot.

The foregoing outlined features will be more particularly described in the following specification, and are shown in preferred combinations 1 the track which f either the upper' form in the accompanying drawings, in

which- 4 2 is a similar view showing the device in another position. Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a of dash pot.

In the drawings 5 designates any suitable supporting frame work, the nature of which will depend upon the structure in which my automatic switch back is placed. In the drawings I have merely typified such a frame work, including certain uprights 6, 7 and 8; but it will be seen from the following description that these uprights are merely supports for the different workin In its preferred form my invention now d comprises the arrangement of a pair of movable track portions, in combination with the stationary portions of the track which.

portions of my device and may be replace by any other forms of support.

As before stated, my device is particularly for the purpose of automatically switching back from one track to a track directly beneath; and in the drawings I have shown an upper track or chute 10 and a lower track or chute 11, one directly beneath the other and inclined in opposite directions. It is the prime object of my invention to easily and smoothly transfer a traveling body from the upper track to the lower track.

I have provided a track portion which normally is in position to form a direct oon tinuation of upper track 10. This portion 20 is mounted so that it may be moved up wardly to the position shown in Fig. 2. to

increase 'thezclearance over the lower track 11 and I prefer tosimply pivot the portion 20 at 21 to efiect this movement. Another pivoted track mally form a continuation .of the portion 20 and' s preferably pivoted at its lower end at 23 so that it may move downwardly to for an upper continuation of lower track 11.

The two movable track portions are interconnected through the medium of a suitable mechanism, such as a centrally pivoted lever 25 and connecting rods or bars 26, in such manner that when the portion 22 is moved down to the position shown in Fig. 2, portion 20 is moved upwardly as is shown in that figure to increase the vertical clearance over the lower track 11. Each of the track portions are preferably formed (for the handling of ice and like bodies) of supporting members having guides 31 on each portion 22 is provided to noredge of their upper surfaces. This is-illustrated in Fig. 3.

The guides 31 of track portion 20 extend over the end of track portion 22 so as to prevent that track portion from rising above the position shown in Fig. 1 without carrying the portion 20 upwardly. But the interconnecting means between the portions 20 and 22 prevent the upward movement of both portions simultaneously; the upward movementof portion 22 causes the downward movement of portion 20, so that the projecting ends 31 of the guides 31 of portion 20 form stops for that movement. When a body, such as a piece of ice, illustrated as 40, moves down the upper track 31 and onto movable portion 20, that portion is prevented from moving downwardly by the means just described. As the body moves on down upon portion 22 the portions 20 and 22 will be held in the position shown in Fig. 1 as long as there is any portion of the body 10 bearing onthe portion 20 to keep it from rising. Instantly after the body has passed completely off the portion 20 the portion 22 begins to fall under the weight of the body until it has reached the position shown in Fig. 2'. The body then starts its downward movement in the 0pposite direction and is delivered to the lower track 11 as illustrated in Fig. 2.

I have provided retarding means, preferably in the form of a dash pot, to keep the portion 22 from dropping suddenly to its position shown in Fig. 2, and to thereby gradually retard the movement of the body 40 in the direction to the left and to gradually accelerate it in the direction to the right. When the body 40 passes onto the portion 22 it will continue to travel to the left until its momentum is completely absorbed. At the same time portion 22 begins falling toward the position shown in Fig. 2 and the body 40 is eventually forced to travel up an incline to the left, thus gradually stopping it. I have provided anemergency stop 45 against which the body may strike should its momentum not be completely absorbed by the gradual lowering of the portion 22. The dash pot arrangement is shown in detail in Fig. 4. This showing merely typifies any other well known arrangement which may be usedfor retarding the downward movement of the portion 22. I have illustrated in the drawings, and may use a cylinder 51-containing a piston 52, whose rod 53 is attached at 54 to the ortion 22. The piston 51 may rest in a iiquid container 55 and may have a port 56 at its lower end for the passage of liquid between the-container and the cylinder. When the piston 52 is forced downwardly the liquid is forced out into the container 55, and when the piston 52 is moved upwardly by the upward movement of portion. 22, the liquid is drawn into the cylinder after the piston. This provides that a movement of member 22 in both directions shallbe gradual and slow. In order to efl'ect the upward motion of member 22 I may provide a counterweight 60 conveniently located on the lever 25.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the gist of my invention is comprised in a suitable movable portion, typically shown by the member 22, which is adapted to form a continuation of either of an upper or a lower track and adapted to be gravitated to its lower position by the weight of any object which passes onto it. In order to move the portion 22 upwardly it is convenient to have it counterbalanced by some heavier member and this member may conveniently become the movable portion 20 thereby effecting not only the object of moving the portion 22 upwardly but also in creasing the olearanceabove the lower track 11 when that clearanceis needed. And the movement of all the members is effected in a practical manner byhaving them pivoted to swing from one position to the other; and, although this is perhaps as simple and convenient a form as possible, I do not conceive that my movable members are necessarily mounted in this manner. The total result of this arrangement is that bodies .may be very easily automatically transferred from an upper track or chute to a lower track or chute and the tracks may be placed more closely together than is otherwise possible. On'these broad features of my invention I wish to base the following claims, believing that the exact nature of the details do not-enter into my invention in so large a manner as the above described general features of construction and operation.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. An automatic switch back, comprising a stationary track portion inclined in one direction, and two movable track portions arranged above the stationary portion and normally inclined in the opposite direction, and connection between the two movable portions whereby the lowering of one causes the raising of the other.-

2. An automatic switch back, comprising a stationary trackportion inclined in one direction, a movable track portion arranged above the stationary track portion and normally inclined in the opposite direction, and another movable track portion adjacent the two first mentioned portions and adapted to form a continuation of either, and connection between the two movable portions whereby the lowering of the first mentioned causes the raising of the second mentioned.

3. An automatic switch back, comprising a stationary track portion inclined in one direction, a movable track portion arranged above the stationary track portion and notthe first mally inclined in the opposite direction, and another movable track portion adjacent the two first mentioned portions and adapted to form a continuation of either, the two movable portions being inter-connected to move simultaneously.

4:. An automatic switch back, comprising a stationary track portion sloping in one direction, a movable track portion pivoted above the stationary track portion and normally sloping in the opposite direction, another movable pivoted track portion adapted normally to form a continuation of mentioned movable portion and to be gravitated to a position to form a continuation of the stationary portion, and connection means between the two movable portions.

5. An automatic switch back, comprising a stationary track portion sloping in one direction, a movable track ortion above the stationary portion norma y sloping in the opposite direction and pivoteclat its high end, another track portion normally sloping to form a lower continuation of the movable track portion, said last mentioned portion being pivoted at its lower end and adapted t? ble gravitated to form an upper extension 0 t e tion means between the two pivoted portions stationary track member, and conneccomprising a centrally pivoted lever and connecting bars between each of the pivoted track portions and one end of the lever.

In witness that I claim the foregomg I have hereunto subscribed my name this 23d 35 day ofDecember, 1911.

LUTHER E. HOLGOMBE. Witnesses:

JAMES T. BARKELEW, ELWOOD H. BARKELEW. 

